The TBG DIY PC Build Guides

Introduction to the TBG PC Build Guides

Welcome to TBG’s DIY PC Build Guides! This is where you’ll find all the best PC builds on the ‘net, from ultra-compact home office PCs to screaming-fast gaming towers. In total, we offer a dozen distinct DIY PC Build guides, constantly updated with the latest and greatest components.

The September 2026 Updates

TBG was one of the very first outlets to sound the alarm on rising RAM prices back in September 2025, and now that more than a year has passed, things have only gotten worse. At this point, RAM is approximately 4x what it was in Sept. 2025, SSDs have gone up in price by about 2x, and GPUs range from 20% over MSRP (thanks, AMD!) to a solid 150% over MSRP (no thanks, Nvidia!). This makes the DIY PC world a tough place to be. While TBG was one of the first DIY build guides on the ‘net, a number of competitors rose up over the years, but have all stopped publishing in the wake of the RAMpocalypse. Now that TBG is the only one left, we feel obligated to try to keep publishing for our dedicated readers, who have come to us for years, build after build, for the best picks on the PC market. We’ll hold out as long as we can to help them navigate rough waters.

With that hard truth, let’s break it down: DIY PC builds should be equipped with just 16GB RAM for gaming or 32GB for content creation, most folks should stick to 1TB SSDs, and Nvidia GPUs are on our no-go list for now unless you’re building something super-premium (using the RX 5080 or 5090). AMD’s 9060 and 9070 series are the GPUs to go with from $500-$1000.

Now, if you can’t bring yourself to buy components at current prices, as an alternative, the pre-built systems we list in a lot our guides are an absolute steal (as in, we’re not sure why they haven’t doubled in price yet, because retail prices on many of their components have!). Also check out our Desktop PC Buyer’s Guide, which lists all our favorite pre-built options in one place.

Using the TBG PC Build Guides

Whether it’s your first, tenth, or hundredth time building a PC, these guides will set you up with the best components you can buy. To find the right PC for you, feel free to browse all of the options below, or alternatively choose specific criteria from our filter browser below, which will display just the builds that meet your needs. You can then click on the “View Specs” button to see a quick view of prices, parts, and dimensions, or click the “View Guide” button to jump straight to the full Build Guide for that build. Happy hunting, and good luck with whichever build you choose!

Our DIY PC Build Guides are updated monthly to quarterly to ensure you get the most up-to-date info. If you appreciate the work we do on these, don’t forget to use our Amazon and Newegg links to support continued publication of these guides.